


A Matter of Contention

by Agwen



Category: Ghost Hunt
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fans & Fandom, Banter, Characters Reading Fanfiction, Characters Writing Fanfiction, Eugene Davis Lives, Friendship, Gen, Humor, International Fanworks Day 2017, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-20 06:25:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9479330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agwen/pseuds/Agwen
Summary: Only a month has passed since Mai started obsessing over the "Ghost of the Channel" series. To quench her thirst, she asks for fanfiction recommendations at the message board of GhostChannelers.com... But, who is this 'you-know-who' the board members keep mentioning?





	1. Introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mai introduces herself and asks for fic recommendations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains **post-anime spoilers** for Naru's real identity.
> 
> For International Fanworks Day 2017 (sort of).

Mai clicked the submit button after typing a review for the latest chapter of Keiko’s fanfic.

She sat back in her chair and heaved a sigh.

There was nothing else left to read. Michiru posted a drabble collection, but Mai had already finished reading (and reviewing it!) within two hours. Hopefully the huge amount of reviews from her would put a smile to their faces.

Mai stretched her arms before clicking to the front page of GhostChannelers.com. According to Michiru and Keiko the majority of the fandom congregated on this site to post and read fanfiction of "Ghost of the Channel". It had been only a month she was made to read the entire “Ghost of the Channel” novel series.

Ghost of the Channel was a popular horror and mystery series written by Luella Davis and Martin Davis, a wife and husband team. The story was about two paranormal investigation teams in Germany and Britain; one storyline followed the brilliant scientist Alexander Sauer, and the other one focused on a fresh amateur named Lucas Johnstone. The two young men solved cases with their respective teams, but both were visited in their dreams by ghost named Marianne...

The book series took turns between the two paranormal teams. The last volume focused on Alexander’s team. Unfortunately, it was released over a decade ago and ended on a gigantic cliff-hanger. 

Mai groaned.

_This is pure hell. Why did Michiru and Keiko drag me into this?_

She clicked around on the website, hoping to quench her thirst.

Fortunately, there were plenty of fics… Nearly two decades had passed, after all. But where to start?

She spotted the link ‘message board’ in the menu, and clicked on it.

Michiru had recommended one author, but it was probably a good idea to ask the regulars on this site. …And Mai didn’t mind making more friends who liked the series. Hopefully, everyone was nice and friendly.

She clicked ‘New thread’ and typed her introduction message.

| 

### Thread: New to the fandom!  
  
---|---  
  
**Mai**

| 

Hey all, 

I’m new! :D My friends Keiko and Michiru dragged me into reading Ghost of the Channel, and now I can’t escape! >_>;  
  
After posting it, Mai clicked the tab away and read some assigned literature for a university course.

An hour later she returned to the thread and found a few replies waiting for her.

**Gene**

| 

Hi :) 

Ghost of the Channel is an old series with a small fandom, so I’m glad to see a new face!

I’m Gene, one of the co-admins of this site. If you need help, please don’t hesitate to contact me or Lin, the other admin.  
  
---|---  
  
**Lin**

| 

Welcome to our community.  
  
**Madoka**

| 

Ohhhh, fresh blood. (ʘ‿ʘ) Welcome dear child ;) There’s plenty of fic to read here.  
  
**Yasuhara**

 

| 

Hey!

You’re a friend of Keiko and Michiru? I like their fics.

Are you more of a reader? Or do you write as well?  
  
Wow, they were so quick and responsive!

Madoka and Gene seemed really nice. Lin didn’t seem chatty, but at least he took the time to welcome her. Mai remembered seeing Yasuhara among Michiru and Keiko’s other reviews. His reviews were quite enthusiastic and helpful, if she recalled correctly. He seemed rather friendly, but his last question made her frown. She hadn’t quite decided on anything yet.

Then Mai realized that she’d forgotten to ask for recommendations.

**Mai**

| 

Thanks for the welcome!

I’ve only read my friends’ stuff so far, but I want more!

Do you guys have any recs? I don’t know where to start. >_<  
  
---|---  
  
Mai looked at the clock. It was time for dinner. She left her seat and went to the kitchen.

After she finished cooking her meal, Mai returned with a plate of steaming fried rice in front of the computer.

**Takigawa**

| 

Welcome newbie ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪

Let’s get straight to the point: Anything by OliverD is a  **MUST READ**.  
  
---|---  
  
**Ayako**

| 

oh look, the OliverD fanboy arrived.  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

I’ve wanted to ask you before, but… do you have something against him?  
  
**Ayako**

| 

Anything by OliverD flies over my head. I always skim his fics to the good parts.  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

**_You skim OliverD’s fics?!_** 눈_눈  
  
**Ayako**

| 

Yeah, so what?

If you ask me, I recommend Masako’s fics instead. Her multi-chapter “Melting a Cold Heart” is _fantastic_. And if you have time, check my fic ‘When Time Stood Still’. it’s a high school AU.  
  
An entire conversation had occurred while she was away from the keyboard.

Mai wasn’t sure what to think of these two yet.

Nevertheless, she noted the names and titles down.

  * OliverD
  * Melting a Cold Heart by Masako
  * When Time Stood Still by Ayako



**Mai**

| 

uhh yeah, I think Michiru recommended Masako.

She said all of her fics are absolutely amazing. I’ll read your fic too!  
  
---|---  
  
Mai replied, but…

**Takigawa**

| 

…you recced your own fic. Unbelievable.  
  
---|---  
  
**Ayako**

| 

I did it because your OliverD fanboyism got on my nerves.  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

But he’s **AMAZING** and Mai needs to know!  
  
**Ayako**

| 

## AND I SAY HE’S  OVERRATED.  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

And you only say that because you’re not getting any reviews ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
  
She was completely ignored! Mai was beginning to have doubts about this fandom.

**Gene**

 

| 

Guys, let’s stay friendly :))) Don’t scare the newbie.

Anyways, Yasuhara is good at crack fic. He always makes me laugh. XD  
  
---|---  
  
Luckily, Gene came to the rescue. Mai was beginning to like that guy. He seemed really nice!

**Takigawa**

| 

Sorry, Mr co-admin.

You can’t go wrong with Masako’s stuff if you like romance… it’s not entirely my thing, but many people like her fics. She’s very popular for a reason.

Come to think of it, what’s your favorite genre, Mai?  
  
---|---  
  
Takigawa brought up a good point though. She had a broad interest, but there were specific genres that tugged her heartstrings.

**Mai**

| 

I’m okay with romance, but I love family and friendship fics more!

I like fics that make me laugh too, so I’m definitely checking Yasuhara’s out.  
  
---|---  
  
Takigawa replied quickly, and proved to be quite helpful.

**Takigawa**

| 

Then you have to try JohnB’s fics. He’s a very prolific gen writer. Tons of fluff. You can’t go wrong with him. He’s my favorite writer after Oliver.  
  
---|---  
  
**Masako**

| 

Welcome Mai.

Gene, that ‘:)))’ makes you seem intimidating.

Yes, John is a good recommendation. Very underrated.

Oliver is an excellent writer. But it’s a shame he never interacts with us.  
  
**Gene**

| 

…That was not my intention at all… Honest.

John's fics are awesome. Nice bloke too! And Oliver’s work is pretty good... I guess.

Ugh, gotta go now. My little bro is hungry and nagging on me to cook dinner. Yay. >_>  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

I wish Oliver would reply to my comments or leave me a review. ಥ_ಥ  
  
**Masako**

| 

*sigh* Me too.

We can only admire from afar…  
  
**Ayako**

| 

My god... It’s time to leave this thread!

…

Oh, Mai. I hope you’ll enjoy the site. If any stupid brats annoy you, I’ll make sure to knock some sense into them!  
  
Mai gaped.

So Masako was also active on the forums. She had to tell Michiru about this!

JohnB was recommended by three people… That must mean he was good. As for OliverD, what kind of fics did he write anyway? Oh well, she would look him up later. No need to rush.

She frowned at Ayako’s message though. What did she mean by that?

**Mai**

| 

haha, thanks, Ayako. :D; But, stupid brats?

Thanks for the recommendations everyone!  
  
---|---  
  
Then JohnB himself arrived.

**JohnB**

| 

Hello Mai, welcome! I hope you’ll have a nice stay…

But I feel a bit embarrassed to see my name among the recommendations... .///. There are many more authors who are better than me.

Ayako, I thought we collectively agreed to not talk about you-know-who ^^;;;;  
  
---|---  
  
**Ayako**

| 

I wasn’t specifically talking about you-know-who, just brats in _general_.  
  
Mai leaned forward. Oh, it’s John! …But who were they talking about?!

**Mai**

| 

...You-know-who?  
  
---|---  
  
Then another reply came, but it was neither from John or Ayako.

**Yasuhara**

| 

I see you’ve gotten plenty of recommendations… But if you want something short to start with, I highly recommend Sakauchi’s one shot. It’s his only fic.

BTW you haven’t answered my other question? It’s quite important.  
  
---|---  
  
Sakauchi’s one shot… Mai looked at the time. She had yet to start her homework. Perhaps she would read it later this night before bedtime…

But… Yasuhara was quite persistent. Exactly why was it so important? Mai decided not to think about it much. She had to admit she was playing around with some ideas in her head, but… writing them out was a completely different beast.

**Mai**

| 

Yeah, I plan to write fic. Got a couple ideas, need to work them out first~  
  
---|---  
  
Then came the responses she did not quite expect.

**Takigawa**

| 

Oh boy…  
  
---|---  
  
**Ayako**

| 

Shhh don’t say anything.  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

YOU were the one who brought this up. ...Speaking of which, _why_ are you still here?  
  
**Masako**

| 

Mai. Feel free to ignore the banter between Takigawa and Ayako. They are always like this…

And regarding you-know-who… you’ll find out soon.  
  
You-know-who? Who is you-know-who? What would she find out soon?

Her irritation rose.

Mai decided to reply with one last message and leave it at that.

**Mai**

| 

???

I’m not getting this, but okay.

Thanks again for the welcomes and recommendations. :)  
  
---|---  
  
Mai pasted the sticky note on the table.

  * OliverD
  * Melting a Cold Heart by Masako
  * When Time Stood Still by Ayako
  * JohnB
  * Yasuhara
  * Sakauchi’s one shot



She got the recommendations she wanted.

* * *

Gene returned to his laptop after eating dinner and scrolled down Mai's thread.

“Great.”

“What?”

Noll barely turned his head in the kitchen. He was washing the dishes.

Gene sighed.

“A new girl made an introduction thread and they’re _already_ talking about you-know-who.”

“Really.”

He sounded disinterested as usual.

Gene slumped down into his seat. Why did life have to turn out this way?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank the folks on GHHQ discord for the brainstorm session which led to the creation of this fic. As you can see, I couldn't help myself. >>; I hope you will enjoy it! I do have to admit this fic is fairly light on plot. So please don't expect too much on that front. :D; Updates will be sporadic as well (I've got to keep [The Crows of Shibuya](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8509753) a priority. Sorry!).
> 
> In case you were wondering: I made use of a customized workskin and CSS to make this fic look spiffy and all. The [AO3 Work Skins/Tutorials](http://archiveofourown.org/series/458134) were incredibly helpful in achieving the look I wanted.
> 
> The stock image is sourced from [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/p-1839802/?no_redirect).


	2. Midnight Purification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mai makes a mistake.

| 

### Thread: I made a mistake  
  
---|---  
  
**Mai**

| 

I read ‘The Curse of the Insidious Parapsychologist’ because it was short.

…

I am not sleeping for the rest of the night. (Face Screaming In Fear )  
  
**Taka**

| 

OMG you read that fic?!?  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

## …Who recommended Sakauchi’s fic?  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

:)  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

I knew it. -.-  
  
**Taka**

| 

BWAHAHA HE PULLED THE SAME PRANK ON ME.  
  
**Mai**

| 

Not funny! (Pouting Face )

I Do. _Not_. Like. Gore.

All characters were mean in that fic

## AND EVERYONE DIED.  
  
**Taka**

| 

I’m sorry. Do you need something to cleanse your mind?  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

_The Curse of the Insidious Parapsychologist_ is a short but sweet revenge fic. I liked it! It was very unconventional.

I have plenty of crack fic available to entertain you for the rest of the night. (Winking Face )  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

You’re just as bad as Ayako.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

What? There’s no harm in recommending my own fic.

Everyone likes good gag and crack on occasion.  
  
**Mai**

| 

I don’t trust you anymore. (Crying Face )

I want a happy ending.  
  
**Taka**

| 

Oh, a happy ending? Then try ‘Ecstasy in the Astral Plane’ by Silent Dreamer. It has a _very_ happy ending.

I read it after Sakauchi’s fic and ascended from hell to heaven.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

OMG

That one is so pure. So incredibly pure. Read that one!  
  
**Mai**

| 

It doesn’t contain gore? Is everyone nice to each other?  
  
**Taka**

| 

Yes, the characters are _very_ nice to each other. It’s a romance!  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

… you are _corrupting_ her.  
  
**Taka**

| 

:)  
  
**Mai**

| 

I don’t trust that face, but I’ll try I guess.  
  
**Taka**

| 

Good girl.

If you want more of the same, check the bookmarks in my profile. XD  
  
**Mai**

| 

It’s M-rated. >>’ This is smut, isn’t it?  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

M-rated _romance_.

It’s pure. You won’t regret it. Even Chiaki likes it. I saw it in her bookmarks.  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

…You were looking at my bookmarks?!

But I did like the fic. It’s just not as pure as Yasuhara claims.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Your mileage may vary. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ The characters’ feelings are pure at the very least.  
  
**Mai**

| 

It’s a bit long for a one shot.  
  
**Taka**

| 

The payoff is amazing though.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

It is… It is indeed.

I read their fics when I want to have a good time. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
  
**Taka**

| 

## OMG KEEP THAT TO YOURSELF.  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

Yes, please. >.<;  
  
**Mai**

| 

???

Reading now.

…Huh, so it’s a romance between Lucas and Alexander. I didn’t think of that ship before.  
  
**Taka**

| 

Duh, it said L/A in the summary.

The ship is rare, but oh so good.  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

Come to think of it, what’s your ship, Mai?

You didn’t mention it in your introduction thread.  
  
**Mai**

| 

Well, I’m not much of a shipper, so that’s why…

But I suppose it’s Marianne and Alexander? I also like Marianne and Lucas.

What’s the most popular ship? Michiru ships M/A, but Keiko is a hardcore M/L shipper… I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. Sigh.  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

Marianne/Alexander. M/L follows closely behind.

Most people write one of those ships, which explains the onslaught of AUs. Marianne is already dead so there isn’t much romance in the canon.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Yes, the canon is very science-y. People like to fantasize about the relationships between the various characters, because it has zero romance. It’s hard to decide between those pairings. Marianne/Alexander became popular because they have amazing chemistry. Marianne/Lucas is complicated, but very intriguing. These ships have a long history though.

Lucas and Alexander were also shipped with the other characters, but never with each other… until Silent Dreamer came onto the scene a few years ago.

## In other words, Silent Dreamer brought us enlightenment.  
  
**Taka**

| 

I can’t believe Lucas/Alexander wasn’t a thing before.  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

Because Lucas and Alexander never met in canon.

They live in different countries. Only their team leaders have interacted. Some people in the fandom don’t ship it, since it is possible to follow only one team. Some people find Lucas dull, so they skip the story of his team. And to top it off the Marianne ships were and are still _incredibly_ popular.  
  
**Taka**

| 

It’s a shame! Alexander may be more charismatic, but Lucas has more character development! I wish they could meet! I bet sparks would fly between them once they interact. (Sparkling Heart )

Mr and Mrs Davis need to hurry up with the sequel! It’s been almost two decades since the last book.

I wonder what happened? Did they have kids or something?  
  
**Mai**

| 

Halfway through… This fic is very good.

The characterization is _amazing_.  
  
**Taka**

| 

That’s it.

## Your soul is being cleansed.  
  
**Mai**

| 

My God.

How does the author understand and portray their feelings so perfectly well?! It’s like I’m living inside their heads.  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

ikr

I was floored the first time I read it. It was almost like the original novel (but without the smut).  
  
**Mai**

| 

…..

Um, wow.

## Wow.  
  
**Taka**

| 

How do you feel?  
  
**Mai**

| 

…I.

I usually don’t like reading smut, but this was different. I don’t know how to explain it. It made me feel warm and fuzzy.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Silent Dreamer is the OliverD of smut fic.

Their skill of diving into the characters’ feelings and thoughts, along with the impeccably written smut, is equivalent to Oliver’s compelling and scientifically accurate writing. _Ecstasy in the Astral Plane_ is warm and pure. It depicts emotional entanglement, rather than physical. And yet it was sexy. _Very_ sexy. I especially liked the description of the dirty aftermath when they woke up. Like an ice-cold shower. A very nice contrast. But the characters still felt very satisfied.

I, the reader, was satisfied too.  
  
**Mai**

| 

Um. Going to ignore that last sentence.  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

What’s with that sudden review?  
  
**Taka**

| 

You have guts to compare Silent Dreamer to Oliver. I don’t think they’re anything alike.  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

Yeah, they’re like on opposite spectrums. Oliver’s strength is in developing plots, but Silent Dreamer is amazing at characterization.

Mai. Do you think you can sleep now?  
  
**Mai**

| 

…I’m not sure, but I’ll try.

Good night.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Looks like we got another convert. ʘ‿ʘ  
  
**Taka**

| 

\o/  
  
Mai blushed furiously as she typed a review for Silent Dreamer’s fic. Then she hit the submit button.

She’d read smut fic before, out of curiosity, but they were either bad or too explicit for her taste.

But that fic was, that fic was — _incredible_. It got her all warm on the inside. As if someone massaged her brain with love and kindness, and all of it flowed to the rest of her body.

She felt her face burn even more and shook her head. Who – Who wrote this thing?

Mai clicked on Silent Dreamer’s profile. There was a list of fics, mostly one shots, but the biography was entirely blank.

* * *

“Oh my god.”

Gene stared at his laptop and felt his mouth going dry.

“What?” The other voice in the room said.

Gene put his hand in front of his mouth as he scrolled down the page.

“Mai read ‘The Curse of the Insidious Parapsychologist’ …and ‘Ecstasy in the Astral Plane’.”

“The newbie?”

He nodded. “Yeah, she sure picks the craziest recommendations to start out with.”

Gene scrolled down to Yasuhara’s impromptu review.

That was when he heard Noll snort behind him.

“ _Silent Dreamer is the OliverD of smut fic,_ ” he read aloud.

Gene frowned. “That’s just… No. _No._ ”

“I’m sure Silent Dreamer would be happy with this comparison,” Noll said as he walked away.

Gene stared hard at his brother who took a seat behind his own laptop.

“…Would it make _you_ happy if someone said ‘OliverD is the Silent Dreamer of investigative fics’?”

Noll frowned back at his brother, but chose not to respond.

Instead, he placed the laptop on his lap, and opened the file containing his current ongoing work. It needed a bit more editing before he could post it on the site.


	3. Unanswered Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takigawa is a prude.

Takigawa scrolled down the thread posted by Mai.

His jaw dropped.

He often had a beef with Yasuhara, but this time he was taking it too far! Not to mention many young women were reading these message boards.

_Where are the moderators when you need them the most?_

He stared at the wall clock above his monitor. Mai had created the thread around midnight in Lin and Gene’s time zone. Well, it was a bit early where they lived, Takigawa had to admit. Perhaps he’d have to leave a word of caution himself. After all, Yasuhara seemed to be omnipresent on the boards, and Yasuhara’s obsession with Ghost of the Channel nearly equalled to his own. There was no way he would ignore the warning.

Takigawa posted a new thread, and naturally, Yasuhara fulfilled his expectations within the same hour.

  | 

### Thread: G-rated conversations please  
  
---|---  
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

Yasuhara, I saw what you posted last night…  _Please_  keep that kind of stuff to yourself! ლ(ಥ Д ಥ )ლ   
  
**Yasuhara**  

| 

What? I didn’t say anything wrong?   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

I just don’t like the mental image of you using fic as  _fap_  material.  

Please keep the conversation G-rated. Or put a warning next time.   
  
On the other side of the world, Gene waited at a bus stop with a phone in hand.

He raised an eyebrow at Takigawa's thread.

Gene had taken Yasuhara’s comments in stride, and though it was strange to actually hear about it, he did not feel surprised in the least. It was a  _smut_  fic after all. 

Still, Takigawa had a point. Not everyone would want to hear about Yasuhara's less-than-innocent exploits on what was supposed to be a family-friendly board. 

The bus arrived. Gene typed a quick message. Then he got in and focused on what was to come this day. 

Today was his first day at his new job, but it wouldn't be his first time at this company. Gene used to work there as an intern during the first year of his master, and he liked it so much that he decided to apply here again. He looked forward to meeting his former co-workers again — and one person in particular. Gene sighed happily. Unlike last time, he was now free man. He could do whatever he wanted. 

After his bus stopped in front of the company building, Gene got out and checked the thread again. 

**Gene**  

| 

I’ll have to agree with Takigawa. :-|  
  
---|---  
  
**Yasuhara**  

| 

Alright then, if you say so. 

But, what are your thoughts on Silent Dreamer? I never see you two review their fanfics.   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

That’s obvious. 

First, I’m not into romance or smut so I don’t read them. 

Secondly, I’m not into BL.   
  
**Ayako**  

| 

Pfft. That’s why you’ll never get a girlfriend.   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

…there she is again.   
  
**Ayako**  

| 

You two  _always_  go on about Oliver and Silent Dreamer.  

## They’re overrated!   
  
The banter between Takigawa and Ayako was nothing new, but Yasuhara’s question… 

Gene put the phone back into his pocket. There was no point in answering. 

He walked into the direction of the company building. It was a Japanese IT company based in London. Familiar people greeted him when Gene entered the building and he warmly responded back. 

Before entering the office, Gene went into the bathroom and checked his looks. 

Face? Gorgeous.

Hair? Excellent.  

Outfit? Perfect. 

Gene got out with a confident smile on his face and found a familiar young woman in the corridor. 

“Oh, good morning. Eugene. We were waiting you.” 

“Midori-san. Good morning.“ 

Midori looked him up and down. 

“Oh wow, you look splendid. Dressed to impress?” 

Gene gave a small smile.

“Well, come in. I’m sure your former intern supervisor would be happy to see you again.” 

Midori opened the door in front of them. 

“Good morning, Eugene!” Another lady’s voice called out from a corner of the room. 

“Ah, good morning. Saki-san.” 

But he did not look at her. Gene’s gaze had stopped at the man in front of him, leaning against the table with crossed arms. 

It had been a long two years, but… there he was. 

The  _reason_  he dumped his girlfriend. 

The  _cause_  behind his pent-up sexual frustration. 

The  _Lucas_  to his Alexander.

Gene could not help but stare at his form, still in good shape from training.  

He swallowed before showing a dazzling, bright smile. 

“Good morning, Hirota-san. Nice to meet you again.”

Hirota seemed unaffected.

“You’re late, Davis.” 

Saki waved a hand at Hirota and tutted. 

“Don’t be mean. You know how traffic is around this time. Right, Midori?” 

Midori said, “Yes,” but Hirota stepped forward. 

“That’s no excuse,” he said, putting his hands on his hips. 

Gene grinned. 

“I’m sorry, Hirota-san. I was hoping to be fashionably late.” 

Hirota sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and pointed at the desk behind him. 

“That sort of thing won’t work on me. Sit there and do your work.” 

“Yes sir!” 

“And —” 

“What?” 

“Don’t check that ghost website again. Kurahashi will kick you out if you do.” 

Gene smiled. “Understood.” 

It seemed like nothing had changed while he was gone... 

* * *

In the meanwhile, Noll stared at his document with weary eyes.

No, he still wasn’t satisfied with the chapter. 

He grabbed the cup on the table and put it against his lips. 

Empty. 

He gazed up at the clock on the wall. It was lunch time. Noll sighed and got up.

After fixing himself a lunch and another cup of tea, Noll settled down in front of the laptop again.

He wanted another pair of eyes for this chapter.

Gene would surely moan about having to proofread it, but Noll didn't have anyone else to entrust his drafts to. Both Lin and Madoka refused to read his work due to spoilers, which left Gene alone. However, Gene was in a similar position. That's why Noll always reminded Gene that what he has to do in exchange for Gene's critiques was far less palatable than what Noll demanded from him.

The memories returned at full force. Noll groaned. 

He had successfully cleared his mind from their latest gruelling reading session, and did not want to remember again.

He looked down. His lunch no longer looked appetizing.

Still, his stomach demanded to be fed, so he started to eat. And with Gene off to work, Noll could check the message board in peace. 

**Takigawa**  

| 

Hey, don’t put me in the same category as Yasuhara.  

His tastes aren’t bad, but not good either.   
  
---|---  
  
**Yasuhara**  

| 

I agree. Takigawa is more of an elitist.  

As for me, I am willing to scrape the bottom of the barrel. 

But I am curious. What are your thoughts on Silent Dreamer, Ayako?   
  
**Ayako**  

| 

Silent Dreamer? Well, I admit their characterization is good, but my smut is  _better_.  

I make a point to include at least one steamy scene in every single multi-chapter fic.  

Masako’s sensual scenes are good too even if they’re not explicit.   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

#### Even in your T-rated High School AU?!   
  
**Yasuhara**  

| 

Scandalous.   
  
**Ayako**  

| 

I took the liberty of using fade-to-black in that one.   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

Somehow that doesn’t make it any less bad, but go ahead and do whatever you want.   
  
**Yasuhara**  

| 

While we’re on the topic of smut, I think Lin’s bookmarks are a good starting point.  

He is a little biased to Madoka’s stuff, but I can’t blame him. ;) She owns the market.   
  
**Ayako**  

| 

Do you check everyone’s bookmarks?   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

Are we  _seriousl_ _y_  going to keep talking about this?   
  
**Ayako**  

| 

You started it.   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

No, I didn’t.   
  
**Yasuhara**  

| 

Gene is ignoring my question. I wanted to know his thoughts on Silent Dreamer’s fics.   
  
**Ayako**  

| 

Don’t change the topic so suddenly.  

Gene’s probably taking care of his younger brother. I mean, how old is that kid anyway? It doesn’t sound like he can even read smut with that spoiled brat around.   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

Says who.   
  
**Ayako**  

| 

_Are you implying I’m spoiled?_    
  
**Yasuhara**  

| 

Now, now.   
  
Noll frowned at Ayako’s remarks.  

For various reasons, Gene had started to mention his ‘little brother’ to get out of inconvenient situations. Only Madoka and Lin knew the truth about Gene’s ‘little brother’. Even worse, they went along with it. As a result, his comments about this brother had skewed the members' perceptions of Noll.

He shook his head. Why would he care about them? It's not like he ever interacted with that rabble anyway. 

Noll finished his lunch and returned to the kitchen. 

**JohnB**  

| 

Good morning everyone. ^^   
  
---|---  
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

Ah, my no-romance/no-smut buddy in fandom has finally arrived. 

I appreciate that OliverD doesn’t use unnecessary romance to ‘elevate’ his fics. (Face With Rolling Eyes )

Everyone can see how superior his fics are compared to the others on this site! Right, John?   
  
**JohnB**  

| 

I suppose so. ^^;   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

## Romance ruins fics, romance ruins lives.   
  
**Ayako**  

| 

Did you get dumped recently?   
  
**Taka**  

| 

Oh, burn!!!   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

. . .   
  
**JohnB**  

| 

...Are you okay? ^^;  
  
**Taka**  

| 

## So it’s true?! D:  
  
**Ayako**  

| 

Oh, whatever. I’m out of here.  

I don’t want to read about Oliver or Silent Dreamer for the rest of the day!   
  
**Yasuhara**  

| 

I suppose it’s between me and Takigawa.  

Who do you think is the bigger fanboy out of the two of us?   
  
**Mai**  

| 

Fanboy?   
  
**Masako**  

| 

You witnessed it yesterday. 

This fandom has a surprising number of good writers, but I don’t believe they warrant such… fanaticism.   
  
**Yasuhara**  

| 

When you put it that way, it sounds like a bad thing.   
  
**Taki** **gawa**  

| 

It’s because that hag keeps mentioning her.   
  
**Mai**  

| 

But getting lots of reviews seems so nice.   
  
**Masako**  

| 

That depends on the type of reviews…   
  
**Takigawa**  

| 

Speaking of which, have you gotten any from you-know-who lately? 

It’s been a while for me.   
  
**Masako**  

| 

I haven’t either.   
  
**Mai**  

| 

Sooo who is this you-know-who???   
  
After leaving a reply, Mai checked the thread again after several hours, but nobody had answered.  

 _This is strange._  

“Hey Mai, what are you frowning at?” 

Mai looked up from her phone.

“Oh, it’s the message board I told you about. I was checking if they answered my question.” 

“The one on GhostChannelers?” 

Mai nodded. “Yeah, but no one replied so far so I’m going to check again when I get home.” 

Michiru sighed. “You sure have time to kill.” 

“You don’t post there?” 

She shrugged. 

“I don’t have that much time, Mai. Unlike you, I don’t have a full scholarship.” 

“Yeah, I understand,” Mai said, and looked at the other girl in the room. “What about you Keiko?” 

“Are there any Marianne and Lucas shippers on there?” 

“… Not that I know of?” 

“Then I’m not interested. I’m content with writing, reading and getting reviews,” Keiko said without looking up from her laptop. "Who goes there?"

“Well, I talked to some Lucas/Alexander shippers on that board.” 

Michiru and Keiko turned their heads, and stared. 

Mai blinked. "Um, what?"

“That’s a thing?” Keiko said, wide-eyed.

She shrugged.

“Yeah. I didn’t know either. But they showed me this  _amazing_  fanfic! And you know, I think I’m starting to like this ship —” 

Her friends started yelling. 

“NOOOO!”  

“What— Why?” 

Michiru grabbed her arm. “Don’t cross over, Mai!”

Mai blinked at her friend.

“H-huh?” 

“You’re such a good writer, Mai! I will never forget that wonderful exchange fic you wrote for me,” Keiko said. “Don’t abandon me for another ship!” 

“Maiiii. Please stick to Marianne/Alexander! Your fics are so touching and make me want to cry.” 

“Shut up, Michiru! Don’t you have enough good fanfics for your ship?” 

"It's never enough!"

A frightened Mai looked in-between them, and suddenly remembered Masako’s words.

 _This fandom has a surprising number of good writers, but I don’t believe they warrant such… fanaticism._  

Is this how it feels like?! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Gene/Hirota?! But they never met!" 
> 
> Yeah, I know. It's kind of random. For story-related reasons it came about like this. It will remain one-sided to keep the story's focus. There shall be no side sprinkle of romance (Takigawa would be pleased).
> 
> Anyway, I appreciate all your comments. I know that most of GH fandom traditionally hangs out at FF.net, so I am thankful to those who specifically came over to read this fic. I wish I could have posted this to FF.net too, but the formatting would kill me, and the chat-style elements are probably against the rules of that site.


	4. Fish and Ships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ayako is 500% done.

After reviewing John’s latest one shot, Mai glanced down at her sticky note.

  * OliverD
  * ~~Melting a Cold Heart by Masako~~
  * When Time Stood Still by Ayako
  * ~~JohnB~~
  * ~~Yasuhara~~
  * ~~Sakauchi’s one shot~~



Mai decided that she read enough for now. It was time to thank the members on the message board, so she posted a new thread.

  | 

### Thread: Thanks for the recommendations!  
  
---|---  
  
**Mai**

| 

Hi!

I read most of the recommendations I got in my introduction thread. Thank you so much! I really enjoyed the ones by John and Masako.

Yasuhara’s fics were funny too, but a bit too raunchy IMHO.  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

Too raunchy? ಠ_ಠ

How can you say that after reading Silent Dreamer’s fic?  
  
**Mai**

| 

Well, you do have a point... (Smiling Face With Open Mouth And Cold Sweat )

But dirty humor just isn’t my kind of thing!  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

Maiiiii, have you read any of OliverD’s fics already?  
  
**Mai**

| 

…Not yet. Why?  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

Because I think he might update soon. ( ͡º ͜ʖ ͡º)  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

And how exactly do you know that? ಠ_ಠ  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

Well, I calculated the average time it takes for him to upload a new chapter! ( ﾟヮﾟ)  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

...You’re kidding, right? ¬_¬  
  
**Mai**

| 

Uh, wow. You’re super dedicated. I’m impressed.  
  
**Taka**

| 

Or scary. (Face Without Mouth )  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

Seriously!! Stop making me look like some kind of stalker!! (Weary Face )

Anyway, Mai. That’s why you should catch up with his latest fic and revel with me in the release of a new chapter!  
  
Mai sighed.

Truthfully she had been putting off OliverD’s fics due to Takigawa’s annoying behavior. Ayako was right. That guy really was head over heels for OliverD’s writing. Mai could only hope that he wasn’t as obnoxious in real life.

Even so, Mai browsed to OliverD’s profile and found the biography completely empty. It reminded her of Silent Dreamer’s profile. However, her eyes widened as she scrolled down the page.

“Holy crap, this guy writes a lot!”

Nearly every fic on his profile numbered at least 20 chapters and _over_ 300,000 words.

Her jaw dropped.

“That’s... about 15K per chapter!”

_What in the world._

It boggled Mai’s mind that someone could be this prolific. His oldest fic was written only about five years ago, and he had five multi-chapter fics in such a short time.

Mai returned to the thread. She could not help but break out in sweat while typing a reply.

**Mai**

| 

Um. I would, but the word count puts me off a little... (Smiling Face With Open Mouth And Cold Sweat )  
  
---|---  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

But you could read his three-parter ‘Oblivion’, right? It has about the same word count as that one shot by Silent Dreamer. You’ll get addicted right away and then you’ll understand what I mean!  
  
Mai scrolled down OliverD’s profile and found the aforementioned fic.

Oblivion was about 12,000 words. A little longer than Ecstacy in the Astral Plane.

_That’s doable._

**Mai**

| 

Uhh, okay. I think I could manage that this week or so…  
  
---|---  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

(Smiling Face With Sunglasses )  
  
**Ayako**

| 

Gosh. Leave Mai alone. Stop pushing her so much.  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

I am not pushing her, Ayako. It’s good advice. You don’t know what a good fanfic is unless you’ve read OliverD’s fics.

Now get your saltiness out of this thread!  
  
**Ayako**

| 

OMG I’m 500% done with your stanning! Let her read my fic first at least.  
  
**Mai**

| 

Guys. Could you calm down for a minute? I promise to read your recommendations this week... (Unamused Face ) I have a life outside fandom too, you know?

BTW I was just wondering but who do you ship in Ghost of the Channel?  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

A life outside fandom...?

I’m sorry for making such a fuss, Mai. I can’t help being excited for OliverD’s fics... He’s just really good, you know? ...Sorry, I’ll shut up now.

To answer your question, I don’t ship anyone. Neither does John. And I’m pretty sure Oliver doesn’t either.  
  
**Ayako**

| 

Marianne/Alexander.

Marianne/Lucas is my NOTP. Otherwise I’m not picky.  
  
**Mai**

| 

Why is M/L your NOTP?  
  
**Ayako**

| 

I simply don’t think they suit each other. Mainly because Lucas is a stubborn blockhead and Marianne barely tolerates him.

Lucas/Alexander on the other hand has something, and I don’t even _like_ Lucas that much.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Did someone mention L/A? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I’m not picky either. However, Marianne/Lucas does have its charms. It’s like watching two cold-blooded people warm up to each other. In fact, I like it more than Marianne/Alexander, which is more on the classical side.

Oh, my other big ship is the team leader ship: Diane/Mireille.

But L/A is my mainstay.  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

Diane/Mireille is my OTP.

BTW If you’re looking for D/M fics, check out LivingTheDream’s fics. I love her writing! She totally nails Diane/Mireille!  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

They are totally canon.  
  
**Mai**

| 

...Canon?  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Tsk tsk, you didn’t notice?  
  
**Mai**

| 

Wait, what. Did I miss something?  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

At the end of volume 3 on page 238, when Mireille and Alexander were stuck in the cave without lights. He tried to hit on her, but she turned him down because she was taken.

In the next volume, Diane ended up in the hospital with a broken wrist and whined about not being able to visit her lover in the weekend.  
  
**Mai**

| 

And you think it’s Mireille?  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Later, Mireille joins Diane’s team in the guise of sharing ‘scientific’ knowledge and supporting Diane while she is recovering from her broken wrist.  
  
**Mai**

| 

Wait.

OMG.

MIREILLE is DIANE’S FOREIGN LOVER?

So THAT’S why they were all over each other in that book?!  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

At one point, they even shared a bedroom without a single camera.  
  
**Saki**

| 

Oh my~ So innocent. It was obvious to me at first read.  
  
**Ayako**

| 

Well, I didn’t get it either.

Once you reread the whole series it’s damn obvious.  
  
**Mai**

| 

I thought Diane was joking or lying about her lover who lived abroad...  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Diane often jokes about having an expensive car, a villa, a yacht, and a foreign lover, but what Lucas sees is nothing like that. In his eyes, she is a suspicious and broke researcher.

But guess who has a ferrari and a _chateau_ near the border of France and Germany?  
  
**Mai**

| 

WHAAAAAAAAAAA

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?! (Astonished Face )  
  
**Chiaki**

| 

Mireille mentioned her parents own a yacht in the Southeast of France.

Seriously, you didn’t notice?  
  
**Mai**

| 

I thought Diane was _lying_. I’m in shock.  
  
**Taka**

| 

That’s what you get for trusting an unreliable narrator like Lucas. :P He’s so paranoid! Not that I would blame him. If you read through the lines everyone in the the team started noticing that Mireille and Diane were an item.

Except for poor Lucas. :P It’s one of his charms though.

Anyway! I ship Lucas/Alexander. It’s my OTP.  
  
**Saki**

| 

I like Lucas/Alexander too. They remind me of some people I know...  
  
**Taka**

| 

Really? Make them read Ghost of the Channel and invite them to the site!  
  
**Saki**

| 

Ooooh, I might.  
  
**Lin**

| 

Marianne/Lucas  
  
**Masako**

| 

I ship Marianne/Alexander, Diane/Mireille and Mauve/Trevor.

What about you, Mai?  
  
**Mai**

| 

I was stuck between M/A and M/L, but now I’m starting to ship L/A and my friends are giving me crap for it. (Slightly Frowning Face )

What do I do?!?  
  
**Madoka**

| 

Tell them to stop taking shipping too seriously. We all do it for fun.

BTW Marianne/Lucas/Alexander is my OT3. (Winking Face )  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

^

Here’s the answer to your dilemma. Why decide between those ships when you can just OT3?!?  
  
**Mai**

| 

Holy crap. That exists?

My. Mind. Is. Blown.  
  
Mai felt enlightened by the answers on the thread. If she wrote a fic like that, then perhaps she could please both of her friends! She smiled to herself. Mai had no doubt that she would enjoy writing Marianne/Lucas/Alexander, and she liked all three characters and their relationships (or lack thereof).

In any case, it wouldn’t be too much of a trouble.

Mai opened an empty google document, ready to start writing, but... no ideas came to mind.

She stared at the empty page.

“Maybe... tomorrow.”

Mai clicked the document away and went back to scrolling the site.

“I guess I’ll read Ayako’s fic instead...”

* * *

Noll sat at the dinner table in front of his laptop, waiting for the printer to finish its task. He spent nearly all day editing the next chapter of his fic. Noll was done with it. It simply needed one last check before it could go up on the site. It had to be _perfect_.

The moment the the printer had stopped spewing out papers, he heard a noise at the front door. The door opened and revealed Gene’s silhouette in the dark hallway. He stumbled into the living room with a somber face.

Noll sighed. He could already guess what had happened.

Gene went over to him and hung an arm over Noll's shoulder.

"Hey, how are ya~"

Noll pushed him away. "Get off."

Gene wandered over to the sofa, and dropped himself face down on it.

“Our parents called,” Noll said. “They want us to come over and have dinner on Saturday.”

Gene did not react.

Noll turned, annoyed.

“Are you listening to me?”

Gene let out a sob.

"He didn't notice."

Noll rolled his eyes.

"Of course, he didn't. If he's anything like Lucas—"

Gene turned his head to face him with a desperate expression.

"He's exactly like Lucas!"

"...And that's why your writing is unrealistic."

Gene pushed himself off the sofa, and went over to Noll again.

"You don't know that!" he said, putting a hand on the back of the chair and leaning in. "People aren't robots! It can happen this way!"

Noll stood up from his chair and walked over to the printer. He took a stack of papers from the tray and dropped it on the coffee table.

Gene stared at it.

"What."

"Do this for me."

Gene pulled a paper off the stack.

"No! Not again!"

Noll wanted to sit back in his chair, but Gene grabbed his shoulder.

"I've read this chapter _three_ times already,” he said. “You can't expect me to read it again, I'm sick of it!"

Noll stared down at the hand on his shoulder, then gazed up to meet Gene’s glare.

"I'll read your new one shot. You wrote one, didn't you?"

Gene paused, then unleashed him.

"Ugh. Yeah, I finished it last night," he said. “It’s about a.... happy reunion in a broom closet.”

A groan escaped his mouth. Gene was obviously not very happy that it hadn't turned out that way in real life.

Noll pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I want to put the chapter out the day we go to Cambridge."

"...Saturday. Right."

"Read it today."

"Fine, but I’d like to eat first?"

“I’ll go get something,” Noll said, heading to entrance. “What do you want?”

“I don’t care.”

“Fish and chips?”

“Sure.”

He heard the start-up sound of Gene’s laptop.

Noll put his shoes on, then pulled his coat from the knob rack. After buttoning up his coat, Noll heard his brother again.

“Damn, should I answer her question?”

“What?”

“Mai asked for everyone’s favourite ships.”

Noll had read the thread. It was just the usual banter. Nothing he didn’t know already.

“Why don’t you answer with your... 'O T P'?”

“Of course not! Why would I?”

“Your biggest fan would be happy to discuss it with you.”

Gene didn’t respond to that remark.

Instead he yelled.

“Oh shit! Do I know this person?!”

Noll frowned.

“Who?”

“This ‘Saki’ person.”

“Saki?”

“There’s someone in my department with that name,” Gene said. “Her name is Saki Nakai.”

Noll frowned and turned around. Gene had buried his head into his hands.

“Has she read Ghost of the Channel?”

“I’m... not sure. But... she does know about the site and the message board.”

“What?”

Gene looked up at his brother and expressed a wry smile.

“I browsed the site during my internship. Hirota-san and Saki-san happened to see it.”

“Idiot.” Noll sighed. “That could be a problem.”

“I know, I know! What do I do if she asks about me?”

Noll stood in the doorway for a moment as Gene wailed something incomprehensible on the sofa.

Eventually, he stumbled upon an idea.

“That’s easy,” Noll said. “Just show her a photo.”


	5. Speculation is Good for the Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins visit their childhood home in Cambridge.

Gene had the great fortune of not meeting with Saki for the rest of that week.

Their boss, Kurahashi, had sent her to the main branch in Tokyo as their representative. She wouldn’t be back for another week. This gave Gene some time to think of how to deal with the inevitable confrontation ahead of him. He had thought about Noll’s suggestion too, but would it work on her?

After all, Saki was a meddlesome person.

But her absence had brought another benefit: more time with his beloved Hirota.

At least, he had thought so.

Even though Gene showered Hirota with his charm and attention, his advances only seemed to weird him out. It was frustrating, but he didn’t want to annoy Hirota any further. As a result, Gene decided to tone it down.

Perhaps he would even have to give up.

Gene sighed and put the spoon down on the plate.

“Are you all right, my dear? You barely talked during dinner.”

Luella and Martin sat on the opposite side of the table. They looked worried.

“Oh, I’m fine.” Gene showed a weak smile. “Just thinking about something.”

Next to him, Noll let out a sigh.

Many years ago, at the age of eight, they had been adopted by Martin and Luella Davis. Martin was a professor in law and Luella was a novel writer as well as a part-time worker at a museum. It was an ordinary household, but it didn’t take very long to figure out that their parents were somewhat out of the ordinary.

Martin Davis dabbled into parapsychology as a hobby, and after gaining an interest, Luella decided to write a story inspired on his dealings with the Society of Psychical Research. Eventually, this story got published as a series of novels. Luella was the main writer, in charge of developing the plot, while Martin had done the bulk of the research and was her first proofreader. This collaboration proved to be rather successful.

The ‘Ghost of the Channel’ series gained a cult following among paranormal novel fans.

This had occurred long before the twins were adopted by the couple.

Eventually they took a hiatus from writing.

Luella got stuck in a writer’s block and started her new job at a museum. Around the same time Martin got promoted to professor and became busier than ever. On top of that, they ended up raising twins several years later.

“Is it about your new job?” Martin asked.

“Ah, no. I’m enjoying it.”

Luella frowned.

“How about your colleagues? Do you get along with them?”

“No, we get along just fine,” Gene said.

“Well, that’s good to hear,” Martin said.

Luella sighed, holding a cup of tea.

“But why the long face, darling?”

“It just started to sink in that I’m an adult with responsibilities...” Gene shifted his eyes to Noll, who silently refilled his cup with tea from the teapot. “Unlike a certain someone...”

Noll ignored him and took a sip from the cup.

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that...” Martin said, “But tell me, Oliver, how is your story coming along?”

“I posted a new chapter before we came here.”

Luella’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, exciting, isn’t it? You always get so many reviews.”

Noll shrugged.

“I suppose.”

She sighed.

“Oh, I’ve always wanted to have instant feedback from the fans. Back in the day, I anxiously waited for the fan mail to arrive...”

Gene wiggled his eyebrows. “Sounds like it’s time to write something new...”

Martin grimaced and Noll sighed.

“Gene, let’s not.”

“Yeah, I know!” Gene said, “It’s just that we’ve got so many new fans recently... I’d hate to see them disappointed!”

“They’re not your fans,” his brother said. “It’s not for you to decide.”

Martin let out a long sigh.

“Madoka is a crafty woman... She translated the series into Japanese and now there’s a high demand...”

Gene laughed dryly.

Madoka Mori was a family friend who had spent a lot of time with the twins when they were young. She had helped the two to improve their Japanese language skills. During that time, Madoka discovered the ‘Ghost of the Channel’ series. The rest was history.

Luella broadly smiled.

“Well, a new fanbase is invigorating! It was fantastic to hear about Lin’s report of the release party of the last book.”

“It was,” Martin muttered, “but you know that we can’t let Luke and Xander meet at in the next book or else—”

Noll and Gene exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.

It was time to leave the table.

They got up and moved their plates to the kitchen.

After that they sat down next to each other in the living room.

It seemed like their parents were still in a disagreement. The twins did not want to mingle and cause a bigger argument. They had caused plenty of that when they still lived in their parental house.

The greatest matter of contention in this household was whether Luella and Martin should start to conclude the main mystery in the upcoming sequel. Luella (and Gene) were in favour of letting Alexander and Lucas meet in order to create a new refreshing dynamic between the two teams, thus removing Luella’s writer’s block. On the other hand, Martin (and Noll) insisted that letting them meet would mean the main mystery had to be unravelled at a faster rate. It would also mean a quicker end to the series, and Martin had many more ideas for potential cases.

At the moment, the couple were trying to come to a compromise.

“Anyway.” Gene pulled a tablet from his bag and turned it on. “I bet Takigawa posted a thread to rave about your new update.”

Noll shrugged.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less than that.”

Takigawa was one of the fervent Japanese fans who discovered the series through the Japanese translation, but quickly moved on to the original books due to his growing obsession. Eventually, this obsession took greater forms... After discovering Noll’s three-parter, Takigawa never stopped praising the scientific approach Noll took in writing about paranormal cases, unlike similar case fics on the website.

That website was owned by Lin Koujo, a close friend of Madoka. He had taken over an old fanfiction archive from an old fan who had lost interest in maintaining the website. Lin revamped the archive and decided to add a community section. However, he wasn’t particularly good at being a forum staff. Madoka suggested Gene as someone who could help out, which lead Lin to pick him as his co-admin in the early days. Gene’s enthusiasm and social skills did wonders in assembling a close-knit community.

As the charming co-admin of the message board, and fervent reader and reviewer of fanfiction Gene became a so-called BNF (Big Name Fan).

However, while Madoka and Lin knew the twins’ real identities, those on the forums did not. As the website continued to grow in popularity, Noll and Gene asked them to keep the fact that they were the children of the Davises a secret.

If the truth came out, it would be quite troublesome...

On top of that, no one except Noll knew that Gene wrote fanfiction at all, and not to mention, very explicit smut fic of a ‘rare pair’. Gene always enjoyed reading fanfiction of any genre, but never felt the need to write something himself...

Until he met Hirota.

Seigi Hirota was his ‘Lucas’.

Stubborn, by the book, and judgemental. He was so frustrating, and yet, endearing. Like Lucas, Hirota was a honest man. Strong-willed and responsible. Though he wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box, there was something that pulled him to that personality.

...and Gene himself happened to be weak in those areas, personality-wise.

Just like Alexander.

Ever since, he wrote smut fic with those characters to release his sexual frustration.

“He’s fast,” Noll said.

They were staring at the most recently created thread in the general forum.

As expected, Takigawa had posted one immediately after Noll’s update.

Gene checked the clock.

“Isn’t it past midnight in Japan when you posted it? I bet he stayed up to read.”

Noll sighed.

  | 

### Thread: ATTENTION PPL OLIVERD UPDATED  
  
---|---  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT.

## Vicissitude updated with a 20K monster! (Astonished Face )  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

20K?

_Sweet._

I’ll be in my bunk. ;);););)  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

Damn it, Yasuhara. 눈_눈 Can you not for a moment?  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

What? I find Oliver’s work intellectually stimulating.

Surely you understand?  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

Not like _that_...  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Just because I get off from smut fic, doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate Oliver’s stunning works in the same manner.

Remember: Different strokes for different folks!  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

You know what? I give up.

I’ll ignore all your indecent comments from now on.  
  
It was the usual banter between the duo.

Takigawa was known for spreading the gospel of OliverD in Japanese online spaces, and Yasuhara was one of his early victims. However, contrary to expectations, Yasuhara had swung into an entirely different direction. He was one of the first people to read Silent Dreamer’s fics.

At one point, Lucas/Alexander was considered a ‘crack pairing’, so Gene was grateful for Yasuhara’s willingness to read pairings other than the ‘classical’ ships. Yet, at the same time he couldn’t help but feel a bit weirded out by Yasuhara’s passionate ramblings about his stories. Gene found it awkward to interact with him on the message boards, knowing that he was the writer of Yasuhara’s beloved smut fics.

“I hope he’s joking,” Gene said. “I mean. Who the hell gets off to reading your fic?”

“...Pardon?”

Martin had turned to look into their direction.

Gene smiled awkwardly.

“Ahaha, it’s nothing!”

They stared at the tablet again.

**Yasuhara**

| 

JSYK I’m normally in my bunk around this time...  
  
---|---  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

I’m aware.

I live in Japan too. (Face With Rolling Eyes )  
  
**Mai**

| 

Uh, hi.

I haven’t read Vicissitude (omg I can’t spell this word. I had to copy-paste), but I completed Oblivion just now.

Wow, you were right, Takigawa. The suspense kept me on the edge. It was soooo clever. I didn’t expect the plot twist at the end!  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

Yay. I’m so glad you liked it, Mai. :D  
  
**Mai**

| 

Yeah, but the writing style is so similar to Silent Dreamer though!  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

WHAT.

...Similar? How come?  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

I noticed it too. I think it’s because both OliverD and Silent Dreamer adapt the style of the original authors.  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

Well, plenty of fanfic writers try to imitate the original author’s style... You see it in other fandoms too. They’re not unique.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

True, but both pull it off fantastically. It feels natural, rather than simply imitation.

That’s what I like about them!  
  
**Mai**

| 

I agree with Yasuhara.

I do prefer Silent Dreamer’s characterization of Lucas and Alexander though...

They feel like real, _genuine_ people.  
  
Noll pouted at Mai’s comment.

Gene smirked. “See? What did I tell you?”

His brother sighed.

**Takigawa**

| 

Seriously? OliverD’s characterization is just fine IMO.

...I’ll chalk it up to different preferences.  
  
---|---  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Well, it’s definitely not bad. Above average, even.

In any case, OliverD writes paranormal mysteries, and Silent Dreamer writes romance and smut. There are bound to be stylistic differences due to the genres, incl. characterization.  
  
**Mai**

| 

I didn’t say it was bad! It’s just... different.

But, aside from that, it’s obvious that they’re influenced by each other. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something similar about the way they write. It’s not just that they ‘imitate’ the original authors...

Either they’re the same person or _huge_ fans of each other’s works.  
  
Gene leaned forward to zoom in on Mai’s comment.

“What the— ”

Noll was equally shocked.

“Fans? She’s taking it a step too far.”

“Why the hell does she think that we’re the same person?” Gene said.

Luella laughed from the dinner table.

“Ha! She should see the two of you right now.”

The twins groaned.

**Takigawa**

| 

The same person?!? *shock*  
  
---|---  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

I think I know what you mean. They tend to use the same wordings and slang.  
  
**Mai**

| 

Yeah, exactly! I live with some exchange students from the UK and I recognise some slang. Also, one of them constantly argues with the Americans about the missing ‘u’s!

Both OliverD and SD use the ‘u’s.  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

SD could be from the same area as OliverD, which wouldn’t be surprising considering the Davises are from the UK.

But what makes you say that they’re the same person? ಠ_ಠ  
  
**Mai**

| 

Well, I was just thinking that Silent Dreamer might be OliverD’s smut account.

In my previous fandom some writers made a separate account for 18+ stories, because many of their followers were still underage.  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

That makes sense if you say it like that. In the recent years we’ve gotten an influx of younger users.

But still... I find it hard to believe.  
  
**Mai**

| 

Perhaps OliverD is afraid of what his followers might think if he posted a smut of a BL ship on his account...

Also, the fandom is already this small. Their profiles are blank, the writing style is similar IMO, and as far as I know, neither of them talk on the message boards.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

I’m impressed by your deduction. They do seem like two sides of the same coin.

The writing is of very high calibre, which is rare, even in this fandom. Also, I find it believable that OliverD wouldn’t want to associate his name with explicit m/m fics.  
  
“This is ridiculous,” Noll said, with a look of disgust.

“You’re right.”

Gene was still fuming. He had been degraded to ‘OliverD’s smut account’!

**Takigawa**

| 

Not you too, Yasuhara...  
  
---|---  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Come to think of it.

I mentioned it before to Taka and Chiaki, but... SD is probably also a male person.

The greatly detailed descriptions of sexual acts is more typical of male writers. It stimulates the visual imagery... and that’s just incredibly hot IMO. I don’t mean to generalize, but female writers tend to leave things more up to the imagination (Ayako's smut scenes are a good example). However, unlike many male writers, SD pays a lot of attention to the characters’ inner emotional world... so who knows. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

If Silent Dreamer and OliverD are the same person, he’d be the perfect boyfriend.  
  
Gene and Noll exchanged looks.

_Perfect boyfriend, yeah right._

**Mai**

| 

Wow, I never really thought about it that way. I’ve only read SD’s M-rated story and not the explicit ones.

And I was just thinking, but what if the D in OliverD stands for Dreamer?  
  
---|---  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Not sure about that. OliverD’s account was created earlier than Silent Dreamer’s. It probably means something else.

Every new Silent Dreamer fic gets more explicit than the previous one.

You’re in for a ride. ;)  
  
**Mai**

| 

Ah, you’re probably right.

## OMG *blush*  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

There’s a different theory.

The D stands for Davis.  
  
**Mai**

| 

What? You’re saying that he’s related to the original authors?  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

Yes. It’s a popular theory. A lot of people suspect that they had a child after the series went on hiatus. The writing style clearly takes after theirs.

I also think OliverD might post under a different account on the message boards.  
  
**Mai**

| 

Do you know who it is?  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

I have my suspicions, but I won’t share it here.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Ah, the time zone theory. If they had a child, it would live in the UK. So it has to be someone who posts at convenient times in Western Europe. ...But it’s a little too much to suspect everyone who lives there.

I’ll add to the speculation.

OliverD is someone with a lot of writing experience, which comes with years. He also has a lot of time. On top of the amazing quality, he is very prolific.

This leads me to think that OliverD is likely a retired, old man.  
  
Gene couldn’t help but smirk, through grudgingly.

“Well, that’s an impressive theory, don’t you think? He almost got it right.”

Noll shrugged.

“Just because I have a lot of time, doesn’t mean I retired.”

**Mai**

| 

Wow, it’s amazing how you could deduce that much from his writing.

But Silent Dreamer seems like someone of my own age.

Also, it’s a bit strange to think that I was reading smut by an elderly man.  
  
---|---  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

I agree.

I’d prefer if he was within my strike range. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
  
**Madoka**

| 

LOL

You really think old people don’t write smut? ;) I know a middle-aged woman who writes smut.  
  
Gene and Noll looked up from the screen and moved their gazes to Luella.

_It couldn’t be, right...?_

Luella frowned at them.

“What’s the matter?”

The twins briefly exchanged glances, then turned to face her again with identical smiles.

“No, it’s nothing,” Gene replied.

They did not want to know.

**Mai**

| 

I didn’t mean it like that!

It’s just that the ideas and concepts of SD’s stories are very popular with people around my age. And the settings and dialogue feel very in tune with the current period...  
  
---|---  
  
**Madoka**

| 

Oh, you could be right about that.

Hmm, I see you’ve read a lot of smut... huh. ;)  
  
**Mai**

| 

Uh. Not really. *blush*  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

...Can we stop talking about smut? Please?

(I swear, Yasuhara. Every time you join in, the conversation deteriorates at a record pace.)  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

(Sorry not sorry)

ANYWAY. :D

It's odd how Gene slips away when he's in a pinch, using the little brother as an excuse.

My theory: Gene's little brother is probably non-existent!  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

What do Gene and his little brother have to do with this?

He doesn’t even write fic.

Try to stay on-topic.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Well, I thought I’d change the subject completely!

Speculation is good for the soul.  
  
Noll snorted.

“Well, it’s true that you don’t actually have a ‘little brother’.”

“Shut up, I’m the older one.”

**Mai**

| 

Oh yeah, now that you mention it... I think it's really weird how people avoid discussing you-know-who.  
  
---|---  
  
**Takigawa**

| 

Sorry, I have no time to explain it. I’ve got to read the new chapter.  
  
**Yasuhara**

| 

Yes. It’s quite late over here.  
  
**Mai**

| 

?????????????????????????

CAN SOMEONE JUST **PLEASE** TELL ME

WHO YOU-KNOW-WHO IS?!

## AND DON’T SAY IT’S VOLDEMORT. (Pouting Face )

...

Oh, forget about it. I’m going to post my new fic.  
  
The thread ended unceremoniously on Mai’s outburst.

Shortly after, the twins went back home to their apartment in London.

They sat down in the living room, each with a laptop.

After some time, Noll spoke up.

“You still haven’t decided on what you want to do with your colleague?”

Gene smirked. “Plenty.”

Noll sighed.

“I don’t mean that.”

“Well...” Gene smiled sadly. “I’m not sure. I want to ask him on a date, but he doesn’t seem interested at all.”

“You’ve gotten your hopes up too much.”

“I’m just afraid he’ll turn me down right off the bat. And that’s gonna hurt.”

Noll shrugged.

He wished that Gene would move on from being a hopeless romantic. If that meant he was going to be turned down by that guy, so be it.

“Just ask him out,” he said.

Gene sighed.

“Alright, alright. I’ll take him out for coffee.” He put his laptop on the table and looked at Noll. “I’ve got time to edit my one shot tomorrow. When are you done commenting?”

“Tomorrow at noon.”

“Alright,” Gene said, and stood up. “I’m going to turn in early.”

“Goodnight.”

“Night~”

After Gene left to his bedroom, Noll returned his attention to the laptop.

He had received plenty of reviews on his latest chapter, from Takigawa singing praises in multiple paragraphs to a one-liner by an anonymous person telling him to ‘plz update soon’. It was standard fare and nothing special.

However... there was a review by Mai in his inbox. She had left a polite, paragraph-long review on Oblivion.

Mai.

Somehow it irritated him that she had compared him to Gene, and even claimed that he and his brother were one and the same person. It wasn’t unusual for people to mistake them for one another in real life...

But this wasn’t supposed to happen online, in fanfiction.

Noll logged out of his account, then returned to the log-in page. His fingers hesitated to move.

Eventually, he clicked on the username input field and typed four letters.

After logging in, he let out a sigh.

It was time to wind down from the constant editing.

At the top of the front page he found a newly published fic by a new author.

His eyes widened at the title and the summary.

> **The Orphans** by Mai

> Rating: T

> Genres: Friendship/Family

> _Two young boys flee from abusive conditions in the orphanage, and hide in the backyard of an affluent family. After Alexander and Lucas are discovered, the master of the household takes pity on them. He decides to take the boys in and educate them as if they were his own sons. However, his daughter Mariane doesn’t seem to get long with either of them... 19th century AU. My first GotC fic!_

Noll frowned a little, then clicked on the link.


End file.
